4 queer movies you should watch

This June we celebrate 50 years

since the Stonewall riots and one of the things we have won is the representation in art music and films because we know representation is actually important and it is especially pleasing when it appears within a moving story, a story that inspires us and with its scenes is capable of transmitting tons of emotions.

That's why I’d like to recommend 3 movies not well known that really worth your time, movies that fulfill with what I consider is a good LGBT representation in films. The characters of this cinematographic productions are not living stereotypes of someone of their sexual orientation and their journey, the suffering and conflicts go beyond their fight for personal or social acceptation and Woman x Woman relationships are not shown with a Hiper-sexualized focus if you look for a movie like that I recommend you my favorites.

The firefly (2015)

Directed by Ana Maria Hermida, this Colombian film is the love story between two women, even though the movie begins with a tragic accident it ends with a happy and bright scene. When Lucia’s brother dies she faces her lost and as part of that grieve journey, she meets Mariana, the woman her brother was about to marry. Lucia and Mariana begin to make each other company in the pain and then they end up catching feelings. The chemistry and complicity between these two characters grow while the movie goes by. The intensity of all the emotions leaves us completely involved with the story, all of that with a background of the most beautiful sceneries from the inland of the country giving the final magic touch to this production.

I dream in another language (2017)

Winner of multiple categories of the ARIEL 2018, I dream in another language is a Mexican film directed by Ernesto Contreras. It begins when a young linguist arrives in a little town looking for the last speakers of Zicril, a native tongue. The last two speakers have not talked to each other in the past 50 years so the investigator has to face the challenge of bringing them back together or at least make them talk again between them. In the course of the movie, we discover a beautiful story with fantastic hints and moments filled with an emotiveness that made me cry from time to time, two main characters with a lot of meaning and a plot that not only shows topics related to the diversity of sexual orientation but also cultural and generational diversity. A curious fact: Zicirl is a language made up only for this film but they made it pretty credible.

Saving face (2004)

A Chinese-American film directed by Alice Wu in which we follow the story of Wil, a young surgeon of Chinese descendence who is still in the closet and ends up romantically involved with a dancer called Vivian. We can also see what happens to Wil’s mom a middle-age woman who holds another secret out from the accepted norms of her very traditional family in which lots of work, money, and a good husband are requirements for women. We see the protagonist’s romance and all that it implies but it led us to a perfect cheese and cute ending worthy of any good Hollywood rom-com.

I hope you enjoy these movies, 3 almost unknown jewels, let’s keep supporting LGBT representation in films, and please recommend your own favorites.

The handmaiden (2016)

The handmaiden is movie by the director Park Chan Wook. The story takes place in Korea in the first half of the XX century during the Japanese occupation. Sookee a low-income young lady starts working as a maid for a rich Japanese lady, Hideko, in a conspiracy with a man that will try to seduce the Hideko, while Sookhee gets close to her in order for them to take Hideko's money. This movie has everything I like, a sapphic romance, powerful scenes, and an exciting plot twist. The handmaiden is not only a romantic movie but a refined psychological thriller with interesting characters and vibrant photography aesthetic. Definitely one of my favorite movies, ever. I'm sure the 2:48 hours of it are totally worth it.